Out of the Blue [Nov 12, 2004, 10:09 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
The BlueTower will be Munchkinland this weekend, as we are once again taking
temporary charge of the smurfs. One of the lessons we learned the last time
around was that our fledgling child-rearing skills needed a little refining, and
that we needed to put more emphasis on outdoor activities, following the old
adage a tired kid is a happy kid (or more to the point, a happy parent). Of
course, the weather report is for arctic temperatures over the weekend, and it's
currently raining, so we may have trouble putting this plan into action.
| Play Time: | Crashdown - Miniclip.com. Thanks Ant. |
| Links of the Day: |
New York Underground.
Thanks quorn. Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator. |
| Stories of the Day: |
High-speed Chase Ends In Barnet Manure Pile.
Thanks Ant. Hello,
McFly? At 50, TV dinner is still cookin'. US TV fails to save Private Ryan. |
| Science!: |
NASA to Attempt Mach 10 Flight. Spinach Power Adds Muscle to Batteries (registration required). When invention turns to innovation. |
| Images of the Day: |
Jeopardy College Tournament Game Won by 1337 Student. Martian Moon Phobos in Detail. Mars moon emerges from the dark. DOOMed! |
| Media of the Day: | ET Strategy Guide. Thanks Ant. Specializing in the ambush. |
| Follow-up: | Evolution Dispute Embarrasses Some. |
| Thanks Mike Martinez. |
Quote: You met the plant thingy and then you played as Master Chief for a while and now you've switched back to the Arbiter, right? Then you're on the last mission of the game. Also what the fuck was that thing? A Forerunner, a Flood entity or something else entirely?
Yes, that is where I am. I had finished the Master Chief part (run away!) and am about to start the Arbitrer side of things in a bit. WTF? That is it? Damn, I am probably only about six hours in, though I did only play on "Normal." Even if that level drags on, taking one hour to do, that puts the game near seven hours.
There is no point in the game that is as repetitive/tiring as the flood parts in the first game, especially that stupid backtracking segment, but a lot of the segments do seem similar. Hey, isn't this from the first game? Oh, I have to go do this again? Gee, that sounds familiar. Hmm...I remember this area - they added some more detail to the walls. Likewise, there are a few places that do break out of the Halo mold, but they are a bit too few and far between. Part of it is the hype, too. I saw a number of interesting sequences in the pre-release coverage which seem to be completely gone from the game. Those sequences gave me an impression of a game that was much quicker in pace, more dynamic, and more working with teammates than what is currently in the game.
Let me make it clear, I do enjoy the story over the original, political backstabbing over mysterious relics/weapons is far more interesting than KILL STUFF!, but you do kind of scratch your head and go "What? This was supposedly any part of the first game?"
It is decent and I think that I can be harder on games because I am judging them against any/all other releases rather than restricting my view solely to the platform. I do wonder how the development went given the time spent making the game coupled with some of the more obvious areas lacking polish. Ultimately, it evolved Halo and there was obviously a good amount of time spent on the multi-player, but I just wish there was more new stuff in the single-player. My main gripe is with the "perfect" scores it has been receiving.
You basically get all the weapons back with a few new alien weapons. However, two of them are basicall sniper rifle-ish weapons, one is basically a red elite laser gun, and the ape blaster is both unwieldly and too limited in ammo. On top of that, the weapon management detracts from any gains made to the weapons; I hate the drop my dual-wield, go to single-wield, switch to alternate, find specific weapon on floor, HOLD button for pick up, switch to primary weapon, go find tossed dual-wield weapon, HOLD button for dual-wield routine. Lastly, because I do generally dual-wield, I lose access to my grenades. Though they do not make or break the game, one of the humorous things of Halo was the over the top physics and blowing stuff up was really fun.
The "kind of new, kind of the same" applies to the other aspects, too. Excluding those breakout moments, parts of the levels are very similar to the first. There really are not any new enemies. It flies, but that is still an elite. Oh look, the wasp thingies...but you rarely fight them. Damn it, more flood? Apes? Just another annoying uber elite-like character. You only fight one prophet and that is just jumping on him and smacking him two or three times. As for vehicles, you basically get to drive everything you saw in the first game, but there is not really anything new in terms of actual vehicles.
Blah blah blah...if this is the ending, that would be a major gripe and lead me even further in the rushed holiday release or cut content belief. At this point, they have to rush the story or leave a lot of stuff hanging. As for the plant from Little Shop of Horrors, do not get me started on that!
Of course, there is supposed to be a (light?) version of Halo ready to go on the next Xbox at launch so that may explain some things.
Alas, that leaves me only NWN to play until Tuesday.
Hating the stupid monkeys,
Ray
-----
WILL WORK FOR BROADBAND!!111
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=ray_marden
I love you, mom.
Yes, that is where I am. I had finished the Master Chief part (run away!) and am about to start the Arbitrer side of things in a bit. WTF? That is it? Damn, I am probably only about six hours in, though I did only play on "Normal." Even if that level drags on, taking one hour to do, that puts the game near seven hours.
There is no point in the game that is as repetitive/tiring as the flood parts in the first game, especially that stupid backtracking segment, but a lot of the segments do seem similar. Hey, isn't this from the first game? Oh, I have to go do this again? Gee, that sounds familiar. Hmm...I remember this area - they added some more detail to the walls. Likewise, there are a few places that do break out of the Halo mold, but they are a bit too few and far between. Part of it is the hype, too. I saw a number of interesting sequences in the pre-release coverage which seem to be completely gone from the game. Those sequences gave me an impression of a game that was much quicker in pace, more dynamic, and more working with teammates than what is currently in the game.
Let me make it clear, I do enjoy the story over the original, political backstabbing over mysterious relics/weapons is far more interesting than KILL STUFF!, but you do kind of scratch your head and go "What? This was supposedly any part of the first game?"
It is decent and I think that I can be harder on games because I am judging them against any/all other releases rather than restricting my view solely to the platform. I do wonder how the development went given the time spent making the game coupled with some of the more obvious areas lacking polish. Ultimately, it evolved Halo and there was obviously a good amount of time spent on the multi-player, but I just wish there was more new stuff in the single-player. My main gripe is with the "perfect" scores it has been receiving.
You basically get all the weapons back with a few new alien weapons. However, two of them are basicall sniper rifle-ish weapons, one is basically a red elite laser gun, and the ape blaster is both unwieldly and too limited in ammo. On top of that, the weapon management detracts from any gains made to the weapons; I hate the drop my dual-wield, go to single-wield, switch to alternate, find specific weapon on floor, HOLD button for pick up, switch to primary weapon, go find tossed dual-wield weapon, HOLD button for dual-wield routine. Lastly, because I do generally dual-wield, I lose access to my grenades. Though they do not make or break the game, one of the humorous things of Halo was the over the top physics and blowing stuff up was really fun.
The "kind of new, kind of the same" applies to the other aspects, too. Excluding those breakout moments, parts of the levels are very similar to the first. There really are not any new enemies. It flies, but that is still an elite. Oh look, the wasp thingies...but you rarely fight them. Damn it, more flood? Apes? Just another annoying uber elite-like character. You only fight one prophet and that is just jumping on him and smacking him two or three times. As for vehicles, you basically get to drive everything you saw in the first game, but there is not really anything new in terms of actual vehicles.
Blah blah blah...if this is the ending, that would be a major gripe and lead me even further in the rushed holiday release or cut content belief. At this point, they have to rush the story or leave a lot of stuff hanging. As for the plant from Little Shop of Horrors, do not get me started on that!
Of course, there is supposed to be a (light?) version of Halo ready to go on the next Xbox at launch so that may explain some things.
Alas, that leaves me only NWN to play until Tuesday.
Hating the stupid monkeys,
Ray
-----
WILL WORK FOR BROADBAND!!111
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=ray_marden
I love you, mom.
Super Secret Quote: I do not know how far I am (or am not) into the game, I am now on the covenant side of the Halo ring missions - the parts after the plant from Little Shop of Horrors splits the two characters up
Super Secret Response: You met the plant thingy and then you played as Master Chief for a while and now you've switched back to the Arbiter, right? Then you're on the last mission of the game. Also what the fuck was that thing? A Forerunner, a Flood entity or something else entirely?
I'd generally agree with your assesment. The pop-in during cutscenes really is unacceptable. It's not nearly as bad during the actual game though. I would agree that the singleplayer drags at times, Bungie hasn't completely divorced itself from cut and paste level design but it was a massive improvement over the original. On the other hand there were some great and memorable set pieces in there, pretty much all of the city levels especially when you jump off the bridge onto the Scarab and fight your way to the control center. I liked the story quite a bit more than the first, I never understood why people raved so much about the orignals story, but there was about half of it that I didn't pick up on. I guess that will have to wait for a replay. Halo 2 definitely is an evolutionary step over the original, it at least tries to address the flaws of the original (with mixed success as parts of the singleplayer campaign show) and the new gameplay components are very well implemented. I will say that the XBOX Live component is extremely well done, and the multiplayer gameplay is a blast. Overall Halo 2 is a must have if you already own an XBOX, if you enjoyed the original then it's probably biting the bullet and buying a box.
Super Secret Response: You met the plant thingy and then you played as Master Chief for a while and now you've switched back to the Arbiter, right? Then you're on the last mission of the game. Also what the fuck was that thing? A Forerunner, a Flood entity or something else entirely?
I see it getting rave reviews, often completely perfect scores, but the game is lacking a good bit of polish (can there be more pop-in, please???,) the single-player game really drags on in parts, and you spent way too much time dealing with switching of weapons (heaven forbid you change your alternate weapon when you are currently dual-wielding.) It definitely tries to push the story more than the original, but they have added so much politics that it seems extremely out of place when compared to the first game. I keep on hoping for more, too, because so much of it just seems like a refinement of Halo rather than a brand new, second step in the series.
I'd generally agree with your assesment. The pop-in during cutscenes really is unacceptable. It's not nearly as bad during the actual game though. I would agree that the singleplayer drags at times, Bungie hasn't completely divorced itself from cut and paste level design but it was a massive improvement over the original. On the other hand there were some great and memorable set pieces in there, pretty much all of the city levels especially when you jump off the bridge onto the Scarab and fight your way to the control center. I liked the story quite a bit more than the first, I never understood why people raved so much about the orignals story, but there was about half of it that I didn't pick up on. I guess that will have to wait for a replay. Halo 2 definitely is an evolutionary step over the original, it at least tries to address the flaws of the original (with mixed success as parts of the singleplayer campaign show) and the new gameplay components are very well implemented. I will say that the XBOX Live component is extremely well done, and the multiplayer gameplay is a blast. Overall Halo 2 is a must have if you already own an XBOX, if you enjoyed the original then it's probably biting the bullet and buying a box.
iam going to see Uncle Floyd tonite ( for those of you in the NYC metro area in the know ) the local kidde (ADULT) show icon ,part soupy sales , part pee wee herman , part Joe Franklyn is performing 5 mins. away from my house this evening...."WALKIN OUT" !
It is rather sad and pathetic too…we are not just talking first year algebra either, but 2nd and 3rd calculus. People that should have developed study habits and not procrastinate so.
Yes, the university system doesn't cure problems these new students have when they come in with bad study habits. It's just not that hard to come up with a C in most classes these days, material and grading seems to be getting easier and easier. No one can bear the news that they're not doing well in school anymore. Almost as if it's un-PC to give someone a D or E in a class. I don't know about everyone, but my first calculus class was pretty challenging, and I am thankful for it. It prepared me for the rest of my education.
yeah , snow here too !....Warpig wins AGAIN ( 2 of the funniest posts EVER ! )....man iam hungover...
<SLAP>
Snap out of it, Hump!
There are people out there using Tahoma font without regard!
SMA/Halo 2:
Although I waited one hour in line for it at launch, I did not really start playing Halo 2 until yesterday. I do not know how far I am (or am not) into the game, I am now on the covenant side of the Halo ring missions - the parts after the plant from Little Shop of Horrors splits the two characters up, but I am a bit mixed.
I see it getting rave reviews, often completely perfect scores, but the game is lacking a good bit of polish (can there be more pop-in, please???,) the single-player game really drags on in parts, and you spent way too much time dealing with switching of weapons (heaven forbid you change your alternate weapon when you are currently dual-wielding.) It definitely tries to push the story more than the original, but they have added so much politics that it seems extremely out of place when compared to the first game. I keep on hoping for more, too, because so much of it just seems like a refinement of Halo rather than a brand new, second step in the series.
Unfortunately, I will not be playing co-op until this weekend; maybe that will change things a bit. For right now, the (solo) single-player campaign just seems to be a bit repetetive and a rehash of many parts of the original game, albeit with better graphics. I am feeling that I wanted a lot more radically new things than what is in the game now. Though I can see why they did it to accomodate the story, I think it is unfortunate that the whole flood thing is back.
As a Xbox FPS, I would give it a 9. Overall, as a non-specific platform FPS, I would give it an 8. Mind you, I am looking solely at the single-player game.
As ever, gamepads su><orz compared to a mouse and keyboard.
Wondering what this "snow" thing is,
Ray
-----
WILL WORK FOR BROADBAND!!111
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=ray_marden
I love you, mom.
Snap out of it, Hump!
There are people out there using Tahoma font without regard!
SMA/Halo 2:
Although I waited one hour in line for it at launch, I did not really start playing Halo 2 until yesterday. I do not know how far I am (or am not) into the game, I am now on the covenant side of the Halo ring missions - the parts after the plant from Little Shop of Horrors splits the two characters up, but I am a bit mixed.
I see it getting rave reviews, often completely perfect scores, but the game is lacking a good bit of polish (can there be more pop-in, please???,) the single-player game really drags on in parts, and you spent way too much time dealing with switching of weapons (heaven forbid you change your alternate weapon when you are currently dual-wielding.) It definitely tries to push the story more than the original, but they have added so much politics that it seems extremely out of place when compared to the first game. I keep on hoping for more, too, because so much of it just seems like a refinement of Halo rather than a brand new, second step in the series.
Unfortunately, I will not be playing co-op until this weekend; maybe that will change things a bit. For right now, the (solo) single-player campaign just seems to be a bit repetetive and a rehash of many parts of the original game, albeit with better graphics. I am feeling that I wanted a lot more radically new things than what is in the game now. Though I can see why they did it to accomodate the story, I think it is unfortunate that the whole flood thing is back.
As a Xbox FPS, I would give it a 9. Overall, as a non-specific platform FPS, I would give it an 8. Mind you, I am looking solely at the single-player game.
As ever, gamepads su><orz compared to a mouse and keyboard.
Wondering what this "snow" thing is,
Ray
-----
WILL WORK FOR BROADBAND!!111
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=ray_marden
I love you, mom.
...THERES 4 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE 'EFFING GROUND!! THIS IS NOVEMBER DAMMIT! I STILL HAVE HOUSES TO PAINT!
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What Would Fred Do?
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What Would Fred Do?
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"Both the “left” and the “right” pretend they have the answer, but they are mere flippers on the same thalidomide baby, and the truth is that neither side has a clue."
- Jim Goad
Just finished Halo 2 with a friend of mine. Overall I'm not sure if it was worth buying an XBOX for but it was an excellent shooter. Level design isn't nearly as repetitive and has some great set piece moments in addition to the run of the mill but very entertaining battles. We were pussies and played it on Normal, under that difficulty it took about eight hours but on Heroic it takes a whole heck of a lot longer to get through a level. As to the abruptness of the ending, it most certainly is a cliffhanger but there is much more resolution than I had been led to believe.
[q]Europeans, I need to ask, how is this treated across the pond?[/q]
In Germany it's almost the same as in the UK (see Tangos post #24). No sane politician would even [b]think[/b] about putting such a silly sticker in a schoolbook.
We usally only laugh about such religious wackos and don't take them serious. Some of them (if they are christian nutjobs) emigrate into the USA.
Well, I guess I can live without them...
In Germany it's almost the same as in the UK (see Tangos post #24). No sane politician would even [b]think[/b] about putting such a silly sticker in a schoolbook.
We usally only laugh about such religious wackos and don't take them serious. Some of them (if they are christian nutjobs) emigrate into the USA.
Well, I guess I can live without them...
BLUE! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! THE POSTS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!!That was the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Nice one, WarPig. We can always count on you for the good stuff.
____________________
...and then you meet me, and your whole world changes.
A message of hope to those who choose to hear it,
and a warning to those who do not.
and a warning to those who do not.
BLUE! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! THE POSTS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!!
Dun-Dun-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!
<queue the Psycho theme>
Before this goes any further, I would like to once again reiterate that I'm posting from far far away (several thousand miles) and this is all done in (twisted) "good fun"...
I will save my 6,000th post for tomorrow's OotB, as I'm heading to bed...
BYOB to tomorrow's OotB! TTFN!
edit: "was", "will", shit it IS time for bed...
http://www.placeboworld.co.uk
This comment was edited on Nov 13, 02:06.
Maybe at 6000 posts, Blue will open his front door, wave at the van park across the street, and invite me in for coffee/child herding duties...
Blue, here's a secret: Benadrill knocks the little bastards right out!
BLUE! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! THE POSTS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------
"Give me a Sandwich and a Douchebag and there is nothing I cannot do." ~ Lord Salisbury
I hope so too. I want Bush, Powell and all the other Nazi's to realize you reap what you sow. And then Sen. McCain gets up on his soapbox trying to say that there isn't any indecency in the movie.
Yeah, dry that one out and you could fertilize the lawn. The next four years in this country are gonna suck for free speech.
This comment was edited on Nov 13, 01:31.
Yeah, dry that one out and you could fertilize the lawn. The next four years in this country are gonna suck for free speech.
This comment was edited on Nov 13, 01:31.
Maybe at 6000 posts, Blue will open his front door, wave at the van park across the street, and invite me in for coffee/child herding duties...
I would think that there are 6000 reasons to keep the front door locked.
Is it just me or are the forums/comments/whateveritis slower than normal as of late? Posting, or replying, seems to take longer and I just had my connection speed doubled.
_________________________
Gameplay before graphics.
This comment was edited on Nov 13, 00:04.
Ok, we were having a nice discussion on which honor to bestow you on your momentous achievement and you had to go and get all gross.
Maybe at 6000 posts, Blue will open his front door, wave at the van park across the street, and invite me in for coffee/child herding duties...
Blue, here's a secret: Benadrill knocks the little bastards right out!
http://www.placeboworld.co.uk
I was thinking maybe a BluesNews logo tatoo on my right buttock...would that make Image of the Day?
Ok, we were having a nice discussion on which honor to bestow you on your momentous achievement and you had to go and get all gross.
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"Give me a Sandwich and a Douchebag and there is nothing I cannot do." ~ Lord Salisbury
Ok, although they're not permanent, parasites are always a lovely gift idea. Ringworm, head lice, crabs... how 'bout a nice tapeworm? You can name it like a pet and it's a good way to lose weight during the holiday season!
Ugh! I just had dinner and come back and find this?!
4 more posts to go...
I was thinking maybe a BluesNews logo tatoo on my right buttock...would that make Image of the Day?
AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...
http://www.placeboworld.co.uk
I was just Googling up some info on my grandma's '92 Camry (it already has 12,000 miles on it!) which is going through batteries like crazy. Anyway, I found this site and just had to share:
http://rkpiech.tripod.com/Tips/car_care.htm
I won't go as far as saying "worst... site... evar", but it is the most unreadable site I've ever seen.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Give me a Sandwich and a Douchebag and there is nothing I cannot do." ~ Lord Salisbury
http://rkpiech.tripod.com/Tips/car_care.htm
I won't go as far as saying "worst... site... evar", but it is the most unreadable site I've ever seen.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Give me a Sandwich and a Douchebag and there is nothing I cannot do." ~ Lord Salisbury
Ringworm, head lice, crabs... how 'bout a nice tapeworm?
I think nin could go for some tapeworm, actually.
Zathrus, Heather: Do you guys plan on home-schooling your kids if you stay in Georgia?
At this point, how about no HL2 for the sob. heheheh Or, take away his Halo2 (I don't remeber if you have it or not nin.)
I think nin could go for some tapeworm, actually.
Zathrus, Heather: Do you guys plan on home-schooling your kids if you stay in Georgia?
At this point, how about no HL2 for the sob. heheheh Or, take away his Halo2 (I don't remeber if you have it or not nin.)
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